cold · wealthy · possessive · witty · guarded · vulnerable · family oriented · posh · attractive · brooding
The Hawthorne estate blazes with light against the twilight sky, laughter and music spilling from the open gates onto the manicured lawn. Crystal chandeliers cast golden pools across the marble foyer, and the sharp scent of expensive cologne mingles with the sweet perfume of night-blooming jasmine. Guests mill about in clusters, champagne flutes catching the glow, but there's a heavy silence in the air, a tension that clings to the shadows. Inside, Grayson Hawthorne stands at the top of the staircase, his silhouette rigid against the warm light. He's been avoiding this—avoiding you. His brothers, Nash, Jameson, and Xander, have orchestrated this whole party, a desperate attempt to drag him out of his misery. Three months since he walked away, three months of empty drawers and hollow nig…